Method for building ships



4 F. R. HARRIS METHQD FOR BUILDING SHIPS Filed June 21, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet l I 1VVENTOR. Frederzcfi. Harms Aug. 19, 1947- F. R. HARRIS METHOD FOR BUILDING SHIPS Filed June 21, 1943 INVENTOR. Fra/ew'c 7?. Harris 3 Sheets-Sheet gmmu ' 117F017 ET Aug. 19, 1947.

F. R. HARRIS METHOD FOR BUILDING SHIPS Filed June 21, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Q a, I R Q INVENTOR.

f'reden'r 1?. Harris BY Patented Aug. 19, N47

METHGD FOR BUILDING SHPS Frederic R. Harris, New York, N. Y., assignor to New Jersey Shipbuilding Corporation,

Barber,

N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 21, 1943, Serial No. 491,722

(Cl. H t-79) 8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in methods of building ships; especially ships of steel adapted to be constructed by the assembly of large sections of the hull and framing.

It is an object of the invention to provide a method of building ships in accordance with which a vessel can be produced by first prefabricating large portions of the exterior of the hull; putting members inside for reinforcing it and dividing off the compartments; and. then uniting the portions at a point near the waters edge suitable for launching.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of producing ships by which the outside metal plating for the hull is set up first, and fixed in the right position, piece by piece, for each section; and the parts to form inside bracing frames and partitions are then added. To accomplish this each plate is put into a fixture of the proper design for each section and bent and forced into shape and place. Each plate is then united to the adjacent plates. The partitions, bracing frames, ribs, etc., for the inside are then easily attached. All the parts are strongly secured together as by welding.

The fore and aft sections, and the intermediate sections are thus readily turned out by a manufacturing process that enables them to be quickly finished. At the launching site, the sections are laid end to end and connected together permanently to make the complete unit.

With these and other objects and advantages, which will appear in the following description, the invention resides in the novel features ex pressed in the appended claims. The drawings are of course illustrative only, and the details of structure and proceeding can be varied in many respects without departing from the principle of the invention or exceeding its scope and spirit.

On said drawings:

Figure 1 shows the manner of setting up the outside plates and forming the sections according to the contour of the vessel in each part thereof.

Figure 2 presents a detail of construction.

Figures 3 to inclusive show the shapes of various members to be formed and affixed in the sections after the plates have been formed and united to produce the sections.

Figures 11 and illustrate parts of additional frames for the same purpose.

Figure 12 shows diagrammatically two sections of the vessel about to be joined together.

Figure 13 is a side view and illustrates the general contour of the vessels hull. V Figure 14 presents a fore elevation (left) and an aft elevation (right) showing the outline of the cross-sectional shape of the hull of the vessel at various points in its length, and

Figure 16 illustrates a further detail of a part used in forming some of the sections of the vessel.

The same numerals identify the same parts throughout.

In practice, a ship having the shape and contour shown in Figures 13 and 14 is constructed of sections, assembled end to end and welded together, as illustrated in Figure 12. For example, eight sections are constructed, each consisting of an outside shell or plating, and inside stiffening or reinforcing members. Each section is produced and. fabricated by first setting up the outside plates in a crib or fixture, which holds them in positions to give the section the precise configuration, lengthwise and crosswise, of that part of the hull which the section is intended to embody; and then butt-welded to connect them one to another. The stifiening and partitioning members are then installed and affixed by weld-,

ing to the interior of the section, to make a complete structural unit. The union of the sections then follows. In the ensuing description, the construction of one of such sections is illustrated and described in detail, with special reference to Figure 1, all other sections being turned out in the same way, but with the plates at different angles, as the contour of the ship at difierent points requires. My process is thus the reverse of the conventional way of building a ship by first erecting the frames or ribs and then adding the plates; and therein lies much of its novelty and merit; for by such a mode of proceeding I am enabled to finish and deliver a ship at a great saving in time and expense.

The fixture shown in Figure 1 comprises a number of stringers 2!, laid transversely, and at the ends of each stringer are uprights 22. An inclined beam 23 is aflixed to the top of each upright and to the stringer below the upright at a point between the upright and the center of said stringer. Another inclined beam 24 is affixed to said stringer near the center and to said beams 22 and 23 between the upper and lower ends of same. The stringers with the upright and inclined beams at the ends are, in this instance, four in number, and laid upon flanged girders or other suitable supports. They make up a cradle or crib to receive side and bottom plates shown at 26 and 26a, 28 and 28a. respectively; the former being the side plates of the section and the latter the bottom plates. They are held in position by bolts 25 mounted in the beams 23 and 24. The line where the side plates meet the bottom plates marks thechine 29 on each side of the ship. The bolts are passed through the beams 23 and 24 and tack-welded at their ends to the plates, as shown at 30. By means of nuts SI and washers 32 bearing against the beams, the bolts can be taken up to pull upon the plates and force them to assume the required shape.

With a fixture like this the plates can be bent out of a single plane and give a surface having the curvature and configuration of any part of the ship. Plates 25 and 260. are so worked, and. then welded to the plates 28 and 28a and to each other.

are preferred. The plates. which meet to make,- cross seams will have lugs 33 for bolts to' draw them together and make them abut fully and smoothly along their adjacent edges.

The ship sections made in this way will have curved surfaces because the plates will be so formed by the bolts 25. The inclined beams 23 and 24 will be set at varying angles for this result.

The left half of Figure 14 shows a fore elevation of the hull and th right half anaft elevation. The inclined lines marked l to It at the top'correspond in position to vertical lines bearing the same numbers in Figure 13; that is they mark transverse planes and the outline of the hull in each of them. Thus, the line I and its continuation at Iabelow the chine 29 to the keel show they slant of the starboard side and bottom near the bow; the lines Ill; ll., l2 and I3 show-- the cross-sectional shape of the hull amidships and everyother line also is such an. indication. The inclination of the beams 23- and. 24 is determined by the. slant. of these lines above and below the chine 29. Thus, in Figure l-, the beams 23 and 24lon-thefour. stringers have approximately the slope of the lines 2, 3, 4 and 5-, and 2a, 3a, 4a-and 5m respectively, below them; and the section of Figure 1 istherefore the second one, or immediately after the bow, and, contains reinforcing members-from. [4 to 21'inclusive. The other sec- .tionsare'formed by inclining the beams 23 and 24 according to. the other lines in. Figure 1.4. At some points. the. verticalbeams 23 might be omittedand low triangular plates mounted on thest'ringersinstead. of the beams 24. Lines a-b and.c-d show the shape of. the bow and stern. of the ship.

of. each. section transverse reinforcing members. in the form. of fabricated frames or bulkheads. will. be. formed and installed and welded to the plates. An example of. the frames for the section of Figure, 1 is illustratedin Figure 4;, and there will of coursebe. several framesin each section- In Figure 131 indicate. by. vertical lines numbered from. I. to H1 along. the bottom, the, position of every. fifth reinforcing member (frame or bulkhead) in. the finished hull, which thus comprises-D in all. This number can. of course. be. altered- The hull illustrated in Figure 1:3 includes eight sections but the: number can lee-larger or smaller. The first or bow section contains the first 13 reinforcing members; the seeondcontains the 14th to the 27th inclusive; the next the 28th to the 42nd; the fourth, the reinforcing members beginning with-the 43rd and ending with the 57th. The fifth ranges over the 58th to the 67th; the sixth-from-th 68th to the 80th; the'seventh from the 81st; to the91st; and'the last includes the remainder and constitutes the sternsection. The 12th reinforcing member is abulkhead; likewise the 27th, 42nd; 57th, 67th, 81st, 90th and 96th, as indicated alongthe topof Figure 1; allthe others being open frames.

The section of Figure 1 will, when finished andready to be united tothe bow section; contain the The plates 28 and 2811 are also welded together along their lower edges. Butt seams reinforcement running from the 14th to the 27th. The method of joining the sections is shown in Figure 12. The bow section B after being formed and receiving twelve frames and the first bulkhead is cut free from the ends of the forming bolts 25, as with a torch, and is transferred to a cradle or platform. The next section B! is transferred to the same platform and the ends of the two are then drawn together by bolts 34 engaging the lugs 33 or similar devices and connected by turn buckles. When the edges of the two sections meet they are welded together. The exact positions of the seams and butts, that is, the length of the different sections, is determined by the requirements of design and construction, For the sake of clearness only two reinforcing members, one bulkhead and one frame, are shown in Figure 12, but it will be understood that each section contains many more.

The various frames are given shape according to the designed cross section of the hull at various points. A few such frames are presented by way of example. The various frames and other reinforcing members for the interior of the ship are depicted in the drawings as they would appear if set up as fully finished, separate units. They are not, however, so produced; but are put into position, piece by piece, and welded fast. Some of the views also show parts that really do not belong to the frames, but are only attached to them at one point or another. Figure 3 shows the hall of the frame which will have the fifth position in the bow section; marked by the vertical dot-anddashline I in Figure 13. It is made up of a lower angle bar 37 and an upper 38 at each side, joined at thelocattion of the chine 29. A gusset 39 unites each bar 38 to the deck-supporting angle beam or rib 40. At 44 I indicate a central longitudinal reinforcing I-beam, which will be welded to other members of the kind'and the rib 48 when the sections are joined to make acontinuous beam extending the full length of the hull. This frame also includes a floor or platform-supporting angle beam 4|, attached to central angle-bars, props or struts 43. A gusset 39 joins the lower end of each bar 43' tothe adjacent bar or rib 37. The keel will be in the longitudinal plane of the braces 43 and rib 44.

In Figure 4 I illustrate half of a web frame to occupy the 20th position, marked by the vertical line 4 on Figure 13. This frame comprises bottom websor plating 37a, aflixed at the outer ends to inclined angle-beams 38a for the sides of the hull. The deck beam is shown at 40a and is joined at the middle and near its outer ends to the plating 37a by posts 45. These posts are secured by gussets 46. Vertical metal stiffening bars 41, T-shaped in cross section, are attached to the face of the plating 31a. This member also serves to support a platform on its upper edgein the hull, and as a partition for the space'below it. The hull, at the point where this frame is installed is wide enough to require longitudinal deck beams 44 at the top of all three posts 45.

The frames of Figures 5 and 6 are for the 36thand 66th positions, near the vertical lines 1* and [3 in Figure 13. They are made up respectively of bottom beams and side beams 31b and 3:10, 3872 and 380 joined together at the-chine position 29 by gussets 39. The deck supports are shown at 40b and 400, extending across the three longitudinal deck stringers 44. Platform supporting angle-beams 4H) and Mac extend across from one side beam to the other, and are braced. by posts at each side of the center and two-side posts 4312:

and 430, uniting the horizontal members 41?) and Me to the bottom beams. The central posts are afiixed to the bottom beams by gussets 48b and 480.

The 82nd frame, placed near the line N in Figure 13, will be made similar in shape to the frame of Figure 6, but of less height.

Figures '7, 9 and show the framework for the midship part of the hull, marked by the vertical lines, say, from W to IS on Figure 13. Figure '7 presents a bulkhead consisting of an upper web or plating 49 and lower plating 49d, reinforced by perpendicular stifieners 50d, and separated by the plating of the inner deck or platform 5!. This platform also rests on a longitudinal bulkhead 58, which may extend the full length (or less) of the ship, and also be set up in each of the hull sections, welded in place along top and bottom and at the ends. It may run between the posts 53 (Figure 3), the partitions 31a (Figure 4) and the center posts 4317 and 430 of Figures 5 and 6. Bulkheads of this and a different shape are affixed within the sections so as to be in the 12th, 27th, 42nd, 57th, 67th, 81st, 90th and 96th positions in the assembled hull, and extend from bottom to deck. Below the platform 51 there will be transverse partitions in the 7th th,35th, 50th, 62nd, and 86th positions also to divide the bottom space into compartments. The sections of the longitudinal bulkhead are not parts of the frames but are set into the hull sections separately along the keel and welded in place. In some places under the platform, additional partitions or small bulkheads '59 may also be installed lengthwise to divide the bottom space into more compartments.

Figure 8 shows the type of frame set up just aft of the midship section, say, from positions 6'? to 81. It embraces bottom beams 31d united to slanting side beams 38:1. The transverse deck beams appear at dlld, shortened between the longitudinal beams 44 to give space for a hatch. Rigid with the beam 33d is a gusset Md for the transverse, horizontal platform beam; and the bottom beams 3101 are connected by gussets 48d, to be joined to the longitudinal bulkhead or keel section .lfid.

Figure 9 shows a web frame in part and Figure 10 similarily an open frame for the midship section. The former has a web or plating 49c below the platform with vertical stiffening ribs Elle, to be joined in the hull to the longitudinal bulkhead 58 and partition 59. The chines 29 are at the lower outer corners of the webs 49c. To each upper corner is welded a side beam 386, to the upper end of which is joined the deck beam Me. Posts 45 at center and sides extend from platform to deck beam, secured at their ends by gussets 45. The open frame of Figure 10 (Without web) has bottom beams 31), side beams 38f, deck beams 40f, platform beams M1, and supporting braces 43 therefor at sides and center, the center posts being duplicated if desired to receive the longitudinal bulkhead between, and attached to the bottom beams by gussets 48f.

Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 show further the bottom side and deck plates 52, 53 and 54 respectively, with angle bars 55 along the junction of deck and side plates, and angle-shaped chine bars 56, bent as required. The various bars may have any desired cross section.

Beginning just aft of the transverse plane marked by the vertical line 16 in Figure 13 the hull is shaped to have a central tunnel under the stern for propellers and rudders. This tunnel is shown at 59 (Figures 13 and 14) and it rises above the chines 29. The shape of the part of the hull with the tunnel is indicated by the elevation forming the right of Figure 14, and the frames of Figures 11 and 15, also by Figure 16. The tunnel begins about at the position marked by the vertical line H in Figure 13, is highest at the line l9, and then tapers out till the bottom across the full width thereof coincides with the chines again at the stern of the ship.

The stem section extending from the line aft is formed in a fixture or cradle which as compared with that shown in Figure 1 has the stringers 2| and beams 24 omitted, and beams 23 nearby perpendicular. See lines I1 and Ila in Figure 14. On the supports not shown, for the stringers 2|, and between the inclined beams 23 I set upright upon their longest edges plates having the shape of an isosceles trapezoid such as indicated at 63 in Figure 16. On Figure 11, for instance, the top and one end of such a trapezoid will correspond with the bottom edges 60 and 61. The plates 63 at the positions indicated by the vertical lines ll, 18 and 19 in Figures 13 and 14 will have a height equal to the distance from the horizontal lines Ila, lBa and 19a in Figure 14 to the horizontal lines Ill), lfib and I91) respectively, while the positions of the three supports for such plates is indicated by the lines Ila, Mia and Ma. The outside plating for the hull is then laid on the upper edges of the plates 63, on their inclined side edges, on the tops of the supports for these plates from the plates 63 to the beams 23, and against the beams 23; and all welded together along their, edges. Thus, the hull gets such a cross section that parts of the frames of the type shown in Figures 11 and 15 will fit the inside of the stern section, with the tunnel 59 therein. The lower edge 62 of one part 64 (Figure 11) will be welded to the bottom plates at the level of the chines 29, the edges 6| to the side plates of the tunnel and the edges 62 to the plates of the top of the tunnel.

The tunnel frame of Figure 11 will be set up in the 92nd position in the hull. It comprises inclined side beams 38g, fixed at the lower end to plates 64, having the aforesaid edges 6! and 62, and each attached to a bottom beam 319, to be afiixed to the longitudinal bulkhead section 589 by a gusset 48g. The deck beams and longitudinal I-beams 44 are also put in at this part of the ship, but are not shown in Figure 11 and 15.

The frame of Figure 15 intended for the 97th position in the hull just aft of the Vertical line IS on Figure 13, comprises a web or plate 63h at the bottom, joined to the side beams 38h at its outer ends. The deck beams are indicated at 4072, and the web is reinforced by vertical stiffening ribs 50h. The lower reentrant edge of the web 64h has the edges 50h, Blh and 6271. to be welded to the tunnel top side, and bottom plates on the inside of the stern section. The tunnel will be highest in the vertical transverse plane of the line [9 on Figure 13, as represented by the vertical distance between the lines Illa and I9!) in Figure 14.

Thus every section from stem to stern is produced by connecting the plates to form the shell or skin, and affixing the reinforcing members to the inside thereof. The sections are then connected together by welding as shown and described with reference to Figure 12. A ship built" in themann'er above described canbe completed by adding d-eckh'ouses; galleys, hatches, bulwarks, etc.,- and supplying and installing all necessary equipment in the hull at places appointed to' receive each item or unit.

The sections built up in the fixtures need not necessarily be of the full width of the hull. In some instance they may be of less width, but produced and joined. together according to: the general plan above described.

Having described the preferred mode of proceeding, What I believe to constitute my invention is:

l-. The method of building ships Which consists in. setting up in a fixture plates for the outside of the hullof the ship, bending and conmeeting said. plate while in said fixture to give them the shape required by the exterior contour of the hull, andv afiixing parts forming reinforcing membersto the inside of said plates after connecting the latter.

2. The method of building. ships which consists in bending plates in a fixture and connecting" said plates in. said fixture to form separately the outside or several sections to make up the hull, setting up parts forming reinforcing members for the bull in each of said sections, and uniting said sections, with the members therein, together'to complete the hull.

3. The method. of building ships which consists in settting up in fixtures plates to form separately several sections to make the hull of the ship, bending said plates in each fixture according to the contour of the respective parts of the hull embodied in said sections, connecting each plate to the adjacent plates in each section, setting up parts forming reinforcing members in each section and fixing the said parts in place therein, and uniting the sections end to end, with themcm'bers therein, toform the ship.

4; The method of building in separate sections the hulls of ships consisting in setting up in a fixture plates to form each section of the hull of a ship, tack-Welding said plates to bolts in said fixture, taking up on said bolts to bend said plates into the required form in said fixture, welding said plates to one another at their edges, and securing parts forming stiffening members in saidsections to said plates.

5. The method of buildin in separate sections the hulls of ships consisting in setting up in a fixture plates to form each section of the hull of a ship, tack-welding said plates to bolts in said fixture, taking up on said bolts to bend the plates insaid'fixture into the form required by the configuration of the ship, attaching parts forming reinforcing member in each section tosaid plates, and uniting said sections end to end in proper position.

6. The method of building ships according to claim 4, wherein saidships have longitudinal tunnels under the stern portion, and forming the stern section in-fixtures conforming to the cross section of the stern portion.

7. The method of building ships consisting in setting up and bending plates-in a fixture to form the outside of sections of the hull, said sections having the fullwidth thereof, forcing the edges of the plates together at the seams crossing the hull; welding all the plates together along their edges in said fixture, installing and afiixing parts constituting reinforcing members inside of each section, bringing said sections into alignment, forcing them together along their transverse edges and permanently connecting said. sections to one another alon said edges.

8. The method of building a ship hull comprising the steps of bending members which are to form the outer skin of the hull to the shape of the hull against the inner surfaces of a jig, said inner surfaces defining the shape of the hull, connecting said members together While in said ji after they have been bent to said shape, and thereafter installing reinforcing elements within said skin,

FREDERIC R. HARRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file. of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

